Thursday, June 21, 2012

Mamma che caldo!‏

Carissima Famiglia Mia! 

Ciao tutti! Wowzer! I am HOT! Folks these days in Verona are enough to litterally make you melt. I sorta feel like I am stuck in a heat bubble... or like I am in charleston on the hottest of hot days and can't go to the beach! Our house is like an oven and with a little whimpy fan we try to keep cool. We have some sort of space ship AC thing that looks a lot like R2D2 and I think I am gonna try and figure it out cuz I am melting!!! The Humidity is like 500%... ha ha okay I'll stop complaining cuz I know Seth probably had it WAY worse! ;) But with how sweaty we get biking everywhere, it's no wonder people don't want to talk to us! Jokes, Jokes! But we do look pretty gnarly as we walk up out of breath, dripping and say "HI we're the missionaries!"

Well other than the Heat things are quite dandy here in Verona. My comp and I are really learning what it means to be a missionary as our days are filled with tracting, knocking, and bike riding. We are certainly in a time of work where we are searching for those who are ready for the gospel. We have really had some neat experiences this past week. One Miracle would be meeting a girl named Frederica. We were walking down the street doing some casa and also talking to anyone we saw on the street. After talking to a woman who wasn't interested in the least, We turned around and 2 feet away was this Young Italian girl... Frederica. I stopped her and we got talking... She informed us right off she was atheist, I asked why. Well long story short we start explaining to her who we are and our message. After a while in the street she says, "hey I live right here, you want to come to my house?" YES! So we walk to her house and turns out... she's locked out! Which was a little rough for her but perfect for us cuz now she HAD to listen ;) he he! So as she waited for her landlord to come we explained the restoration and the Book of Mormon. We had the chance to bear our testimonies about it and really let her know it is TRUE!! Then we challenged her to read it and told her she was a daughter of her Heavenly Father and that he loved her! It was really a neat experience and just made me soooo grateful for the Knowledge we have that we have a Heavenly Father. 
Its the simpliest part of the Gospel... God is our Heavenly Father and he loves us. Its the first thing we learn at the MTC in our Language... Dio e' il nostro padre celeste e lui ci ama. It amazes me that people don't know this. That's why I am here. They have to know they have a Heavenly Father they can turn to with ANYTHING. That he is always there and loves them. That he sent his son for them!!! I just can't imagine my life without this knowledge! 

We are still teaching Gica and Davide. I want soooo badly for them to get baptized. It is amazing how much you learn about love on the mission. I love this family more than I can even express. Thats why its so hard when Gica won't accept to be baptized. I see her struggles and KNOW how they can be fixed. I see the blessings she is losing by not excepting Heavenly Fathers outreached hand! AH! But we are going back to the basics with her and starting with a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith! That's the key! We are also teaching a Man named Massimo... Boy Friend of a member and they came to church on Sunday! I was sooooo happy when I saw them walk in! Can't wait to teach him more too! 

Guys, I love you so much. Jos... I can't believe you are coming over here! Crazy! You will love it. Jake... keep building those pools! I am proud of you buddy! Sabrines... live up EFY! Ems... take an extra ride on WIcked for me okay!?! 

I know Heavenly Father is Aware of Us. I know he loves us, and I know he has a plan for each of us. We keep doing our part and everything works out. I just know It! 

Dad! HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! So in Italy Fathers day is in like March so it threw me off! But know I love you so much and an soooo grateful for you! I will try to hook you up with something fabulous! Actually since Jose is going to florence have her go to town on buying you an jake ties!

Love you all! Have a good week! 
Slla Kate 

Friday, June 15, 2012

Oh Brother!!!!

I think I have had it!!!!! I lost the pictures again for the 4th time!!!!!!
I think I am giving up until I get better internet!!!!!!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Pictures?...SOME.....















Hey I think I got it!....  .....Pictures!.....some....

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pictures????

For all you viewers out there!...Katie sent home some pictures and I will figure out how to get them on soon.....in the mean time enjoy her letters they seem to always be full of adventures! 

Greenies and other things... ;)‏

Hey team! What's going on! 

Goodness gracious I feel like you are all doing soooo many crazy cool things this summer! I am excited for all of you... work hard, play hard! (our Zone leaders actually always tell us "Work hard, Pray Hard" ;) ). You guys are awesome for working so much! Sabrines and ems... what are your plans? Weeding ;) And what the... 4 wheelers! Dad you are crazy! 

My fam, this week has been an adventure for sure! Thursday I went to Milan with my Comp to get our new little greenies. We had a little training and then in walked our new comps. My new comp is from LONE PEAK! What the craziness! Her name is Slla Morley and we totally knew each other. She is great, full of energy and went to culinary school... so thus I have been partaking of some delightful things these days! ;) It is crazy too because in our New district we also have Anziano Healey! Yeah! So our district is like World class for Life! Who would have thunk that we'd all be here together again in Italy! 

Being a trainer is crazy business! I feel like my mind might explode just cuz I am trying to always remember everything we have to do! It is sooo fun though because new missionaries just have the conquer the world spirit that I totally love! It has helped me have an extra dose of energy! The other day we gave out a copy of the Book of Mormon and she was on top of the world! I LOVE that because sometimes you forget how important the little things are on the mission. Its all those little things that bring about big things! 

I don't have a ton of time today but things are going good here in Verona. We are still working on Gica and Davide trying to get time baptized and are doing lots of finding work because we need somemore people to teach! But I love it! I will say that it is amazing that Finding has litterally become one of my favorite parts of the mission! I KNOW CRAZY HUH!!! When I swear the first million months I was too scared to talk to anyone! Now it is just fun and I love having the chance to bear my testimony about the gospel. I KNOW IT IS TRUE!! I love being a missionary! 

Heavenly Father is there for us. He is looking after us. I KNOW this is true. He is definately in control of everything and when we have faith in him and his son... things work out. Just remember that okay ;) 

I love you all sooo much! I will right more next week okay! 

Love you,
Slla Kate 



Once upon a time there was a missionary... and a bike crash, and an earthquake, and a baptism..‏

FAMIGLIA!!! 

Guys... peace out... I have so much to tell you I don't even know where to start! This has offically been the MOST eventful week of my mission. I will tell you right off I am 100% perfectly, happily, physically exhausted!!! I have never experience such tiredness! I love it ;) 

Let me start with the Family Meneghini! THEY GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!! It was seriously the most beautiful baptism I have ever been too. And I have to start by telling you that last Sunday, some things went down and Slla Meneghini called off the baptism. We were dying... it seemed like everything was falling apart. Monday however, she called us and apologized and said that she is amazed at how satan works to stop her from being baptized but she wasn't going to let him win. She said she prayed a ton and was ready. So the baptism was back on. We worked our guts out to get everything ready and Saturday, Slla Meneghini, and her 2 sons were baptized by her Husband. It was Beautiful! The spirit was so strong!! It was amazing because you could just see that this family took a step towards eternity!! AMAZING! I can't even express how grateful I am that I was able to witness this miracle. And I tell you it is NOTHING less than a miracle they are baptized and confirmed members of the Church! 

Needless to say Sunday after the confirmation we were exhausted. Its amazing how you feel sometimes on the mission like you have just run a marathon but only because you are stressing and thinking about others. Its a really good kind of tired ;) Well Monday rolled around and we planned an FHE with the ward. We talked to them about Miracles and they watched The other side of Heaven. During the FHE we got a phone call from president... TRANSFERS!!!!!!!! Slla Laratro is going to Collegno to open! They are taking the elders out and putting her in! She will also be training! WOW!! Then she passed the phone to me and President informed me I would be staying in Verona. As expected. He then informed me that my new companion... he didn't know because she hadn't yet arrived. i.e. I'M TRAINING!! I pretty much was like... what?!! I am for sure the nervousest thing!!! 

Well the movie got over and we hopped on our bikes to head home. Well our church is at the top of a hill... It has a really steep driveway that at the bottom has an apartment right accross, you can only turn right or left. We hopped on our bikes and about at the bottom of the hill my break totally fell off... just snapped and I went barreling, mock 90,  into the steal gate infront of me... Head first. I turned my head at the last minute so my helmet took most of the impact. But I had a nice mark from the gate on my face ;) My pinky got sliced. Right after I was totally fine, and got right up and told everyone I was okay. But my companion screamed and was like where is all this blood coming from... I look down and my dress and legs are coverd in Blood. And as we all know... Me and blood... we are not friends! When I saw all the blood from my finger I almost fainted and so the members insisted on taking me to the hospital. I have lots of bruises but my helmet saved my life! We were in the Hosptial till 2 in the morning cuz they thought I needed stitches but in the end just glued me up. Then they took a 1000 x-rays and sent me away with a neck brace... I looked like a complete fool. I actually told the nurse "I can't go out there like this... my companion will die!" Sure enough Slla Laratro about wet her pants when she saw me and we laughed the entire way home!  I am 100% fine but it surley was an adventure! That didn't end there...

After informing president that we got home so late we ended up sleeping in Tuesday... well tried because we were woken up again by yet... ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE!! Blast... can't the earth just chill ;) Yesterday there were a couple of aftershocks. They are about 5.8, 5.9 and Verona is okay and we are fine! 

Needless to say this has been a crazy week! And I can only expect that things will just get crazier as I head to Milan tomorrow to pick up my Greenie. I'm not going to lie lots of worries are running through my head... like I don't know if I can do this. But I know that I am just going to have to rely 5,000% percent on Heavenly Father and My Savior. THis is their work and they are in control. I will do my best... and leave the Lord the rest! 

I love you all and Hope things are lovely! Blessed day for summer!! I can't believe it is already here!! 

Well... I will let you know how things go next week okay... Hopefully all the crazy adventures are over for a while and we can just have lots of miracles :) he! 

I love you all!

S.lla Katie